Book Summary: The Prophet

🌟 Alternate title for this book

Moral lessons for life

🎯 The Book in 3 Sentences

This book is a collection of short poems and each of the poem revolves around a specific topic in our life. The topics include things like freedom, passion, pain, family, friendship, time etc. and almost covers the most important aspects of our everyday life. The author gives a lot of simple examples to convey his point in simple phrases and yet conveys a very deep meaning.

🎨 Book impressions ?

The book is a very relaxing read and I would usually read one poem at a time and will be pondering over it for some time. This is like a self-help book but with a very poetic touch.

👓 Who should read this book ?

• Anyone who wants to relax from their busy world for some time should read this book.

✍️ Most memorable phrases from this book

• [on love] And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
• [on giving] You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. And what is fear of need but need itself? Is not dread of thirst when your well is full, the thirst that is unquenchable?
• [on joy and sorrow] The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain. Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter’s oven?
• [on freedom] And if it is a care you would cast off, that care has been chosen by you rather than imposed upon you. And if it is a fear you would dispel, the seat of that fear is in your heart and not in the hand of the feared.
• [on reason and passion] For reason, ruling alone, is a force confining; and passion, unattended, is a flame that burns to its own destruction.
• [on pain] Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. It is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your sick self. Therefore trust the physician, and drink his remedy in silence and tranquillity
• [on time] And knows that yesterday is but to-day’s memory and to-morrow is to-day’s dream.
• [on pleasure] Pleasure is a freedom-song, But it is not freedom. It is the blossoming of your desires, But it is not their fruit. It is a depth calling unto a height, But it is not the deep nor the high. It is the caged taking wing, But it is not space encompassed.